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2010 Resolution Retrospective

January 8, 2011 — normalboy

The new school term started this week. One of my classes (on stochastic processes) is considered (by the professor) to be the most difficult required statistics class at the master’s level, so I’m already worried. This is my excuse as to why I haven’t made my resolution respective this year until now.

I only had three resolutions last year (I split them into two posts, here and here):

1. I have been terrible at updating this blog lately. When I started this blog, I strived to post something every day. I can’t even update every three weeks anymore! I would like to get back into blogging regularly.

I wrote 88 posts in 2010 and 95 posts in 2009. I did okay for the first couple months, but my frequency went down fast. I don’t think I did very well with this resolution, but at least I haven’t dropped the blog entirely!

2. As I mentioned above, my flabby midsection needs to go. I’m never going to have a swimmer’s body at this rate. I’m still deciding whether I have the energy/time to go to the gym, but I have to start exercising again for my mental and physical well-being.

I had big plans for this, but they didn’t work out. Once I started graduate school at Prestigious University, I wanted to go to the gym and/or go swimming on campus on a regular basis. I went a few times last term, but I got busy and too tired to keep it up. However, since this campus is big and I don’t know how to ride a bike, I walk a lot. Unfortunately, my midsection is still just as (but not more!) flabby as it was last year, so I can’t say I did well on this resolution either.

3. I want to finish a book this year. Finishing a whole book sounds easy to some people, but this is a feat I haven’t done in many years. I should have a really good shot this year, though, since “Robin and Ruby,” the sequel to “The World of Normal Boys” is coming out in March! I’ve been waiting almost ten years for this!

Finally, a resolution I made good on! I finished “Robin and Ruby” on December 28th. It felt good to read a whole book. It’s so much easier for me to spend hours playing a video game or watching YouTube clips, but I think reading expands the mind and imagination in a different way than video games or movies.

As usual, and like most people, I didn’t keep most of my resolutions. But if I didn’t make them, I might not have finished “Robin and Ruby.” I was keenly aware of my resolution to finish it before the end of the year, and it forced me to make time to read. I definitely needed a little push, so this indirect self-motivation was great.

Now, for a new resolution:

1. I would like to finish another book this year. I cheated a little last year because I had a specific book in mind when I made the resolution. I was already eagerly waiting to read it. I want to see how I do if I don’t specify the book. Finding a book to read will be part of the challenge. If I can do this one, maybe I’ll up the 2012 resolution to two books!

I don’t want to repeat all of my resolutions again (though I do still want to update the blog more often and lose some weight/flab), so I’ll have to take some time to think about what other resolutions I want to make this year. I need to go back to studying now, though. Happy 2011 everyone!

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3 Responses to “2010 Resolution Retrospective”

As Deming would say, the goal is important, but even more important is the method you will use to achieve that goal. By what method?

Instead of saying, “I’m going to finish a book,” you might decide to read 1 page each morning after you wake up, or one page in bed right before you fall asleep. Choose a book with less than 300 pages and you will surely finish it in year’s time.

The important question is not the “what,” but the “how” and the “when!”